Realization comes too late
by B.M. Solis
Summary: An Elphaba and Boq fanfic. My first ever.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Boq sat in his room, gazing out the window frustratedly. Glinda had gone back to her silly vain self after Elphaba left, and this time, he found it frustratingly annoying. After Doctor Dillamond's death, not only had Glinda and Elphie changed, but also Boq himself, and the only reason he had come to this realization was because the one person who had been a true friend to him had left him.  
The entire group had changed after Elphaba's departure, well... all except for Avaric. Fiyero was quiet and moody, Glinda had lost her brain somewhere in the Emerald City (most likely with Elphaba.), Milla was chasing after **Boq** with sappy doe eyes (a horrifying prospect), Tibbett, obviously scarred by his misadventure at the Philosophy club, was quieter, more withdrawn, while Crope had joined a theater group. But Nessarose was the worst. Not even Nanny could comfort her. She was bitter and self-righteous to an even more astounding degree.  
Boq shuddered as he thought about what had happened the previous week, when Glinda had come back without the green girl. Glinda got out of the carriage alone, her face marred with tears.  
"Glinda?" asked Boq tentatively, his heart hammering harder than when he had kissed her the previous summer.  
"She left. The Wizard wouldn't listen to her, so she left. She refused to get into the carriage. She didn't even **cry**." Glinda was shaking, tears coursing down her cheeks in black rivers. Boq patted her on the back. It was all he could do, considering he wanted to break down and cry as well, which he honestly didn't understand.  
"Glinda? Where is Elphaba?" asked Nessarose's voice behind them. Glinda and Boq both stiffened.  
"She stayed in the Emerald City. She said that Shiz was no longer the place for her, Nessa." sobbed Glinda, throwing her arms around Elphaba's cold, pale sister.  
"She left me?" asked Nessa incredulously, "But I need her! Who will take care of me?" Nanny coughed.  
"We will Nessa." replied Glinda. Boq gave Nessarose a half-hearted, stiff smile. Nessa wrapped her arms around him and kissed him soundly. Boq spluttered. Her mouth was sticky sweet, which made him want to retch, and he couldn't think of anything to do but sort of give her a light push, and walk away from it all. The horrifying ache in his chest when he realized Elphaba was gone, the utter lack of emotion towards the former woman of his dreams, and the disgust towards the self-centered holy Nessarose.   
Now, about a week later, he couldn't figure out why it hurt so badly that Elphie was gone. She was rude to him more often than not. Still, he had to admit, he missed her dark humor at a time like this.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**3 Years Later**  
"Boq?" asked Milla as they were lying in bed, cooling down.  
"Yes?" He asked, running his hands through her hair absentmindedly.   
"Nessarose is the Eminent Thropp now." Boq froze. "Her grandfather died. D'you suppose Miss Elphaba will come back to Munchkinland to reclaim her title?"  
After the mind-boggling week of trying to put their lives back together after Elphaba's departure, he had severed all ties with Nessarose and become exceedingly distant from Glinda, the memories of Elphaba too painful to bear.  
"No." He replied wistfully. "Elphie's gone."  
Boq finally realized why it had hurt him so badly that she had left. Somewhere along the line, he had fallen in love with Elphaba Thropp. He really **had** changed after Doctor Dillamond's death. To fall **out** of love with popular, bubbly blonde Galinda and fall **in** love with witty, sarcastic green Elphaba was a shock to him.  
But after waiting two years for some sign of her, he gave up hope. He finally started paying attention to Milla's advances and married her three months after graduating from Shiz.  
Now, however, hearing that Nessa had ascended the throne confirmed it in his heart of hearts that Elphaba was dead. Tears trickled down his cheeks and he turned away from Milla, ignoring everything but the pain consuming his heart.  
Why, oh why hadn't he figured it out before Elphie left? Maybe then he could have told her the truth.  
"Boq?" whispered Milla again. He pretended to be asleep. "I just wanted to tell you that we're going to have a baby shortly." Boq stiffened. How could he have gotten into such a mess?  
_'I don't love you, Milla. Someone else is on my mind every hour of the day and I'm sorry.'_ he thought, then closed his eyes and dreamt of raven-black hair, emerald green skin, and dry, sarcastic laughter, which sounded better than any other laugh he had ever heard.  
"I love you, Fabala." He whispered. Little did he know, his pregnant, impressionable wife was still awake and heard what he had said to a not-there Elphaba.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Milla, I'm leaving now." said Boq cheerfully, "Will you be all right for a few days?"  
"I'll be fine!" she snapped. Boq kissed the top of her head jovially, ruffled their son's head and headed towards his wagon.  
He worried exceedlingly about Milla. Ever since she's had Nick, she had been attempting suicide and refusing to take care of herself. Her wrists were scarred beyond belief, her hair was grey and ratty, and worst of all, she was expecting their second child.  
But Boq simply could not postpone this trip into the Emerald City. He had to buy new farm equipment and sell the remaining grain, so he asked his mother to check on Milla every day while he was gone.  
He set out on his wagon, hoping to the Unnamed God for clear skies.  
"Elphie would disapprove of such talk, old boy." he said to himself. "I could hear her now, 'The Unnamed God has as much control of the rain as you do Glinda's fashion sense.'" He smiled and urged the horses to hurry.  
It took him four days to get to the Emerald City, a long journey in which he talked to himself and tried to make his horses talk to see if what Doctor Dillamond said was right.  
The city was huge, absolutely massive, larger by far than Shiz even. He rode towards his cousin, Bfee's (who was named after Boq's own father) shop. He was one of the few Munchkinlanders who could keep up with the sprawling enormousity of the City. He stopped the wagon and started unloading it. He carried a load on his shoulder and walked slowly towards the entrance, the load of grain heavier than he had remembered.  
All of a sudden, someone crashed into him, and he fell, crying out in horror for the grain. He looked to the side and saw a figure in a cloak on the floor, holding a knee. Grain was scattered everywhere, and Boq was very close to pounding the lights out of the hooded figure.  
"Watch where you're going, stranger!" he growled, "That was a year's supply of grain!" The cloaked person helped him up.  
"Sorry." said a voice from under the hood. A gloved hand appeared, shoving two gold coins towards him. "That should help cover it." Boq listened intently to the feminine, vaguely familiar voice.  
The hooded figure nodded at him, but not before Boq saw a flash of green. His heart thudded madly.  
_'It couldn't be.'_ He thought.  
Boq extended his hand. "Boq, from Wend Hardings."  
"No one." the voice replied. The figure shook his hand. Boq saw his opportunity and tightened his grip on the hand. Then, with the oter hand, he thew the hood back. Staring back at him in wide-eyed horror was Elphaba Thropp.  
"Boq! Why did you do that? Now others will recognize me!" she cried, dragging him into an alley then towards a little broken-down apartment.  
When they entered it, Boq wrapped her up into the biggest bear hug he could manage.  
"Elphie, why did you leave us?" He asked.  
"To protect you, now don't get so excited." she replied.  
Then he proceeded in catcing her up on what had happened since she had left, Nessarose's infatuation with him, Glinda going back to the annoying vainness he no longer liked, Fiyero's distant disposition, Crope and Tibbett's transformation, and his own failing marriage with Milla.  
"Now, enough about us, Elphie, what about you? What are you doing here anyway?"  
"Doing what I do best, Boq." she replied. He took her words into consideration.  
"Taking care of others isn't your fate. You chose that role." he retorted.  
"But no one else would do it." she replied.  
"I would." he stated. _'If it meant being with you.'_ Elphaba threw herself at him.   
"Which is exactly why I'm the one doing it." Boq stroked her straight hair, relishing the way it felt beneath his fingers. He looked at her face and her eyes were shining with tears and he wiped one away before it could burn her soft cheek.  
"I missed you, Boq. You have no idea how much." she whispered.   
"No, it is you who has no idea." he replied. He pulled her head down and kissed her, a sweet demanding kiss, one he had dreamt of for years now. What amazed him was that she kissed him back just as passionately.  
He started to unbutton her dress, fumbling with the buttons until she started helping him. He finally got it off then unbucked his pants.  
"I love you Elphie." he whispered into her ear as he entered her. He felt her stiffen beneath him, then relax as his movements progressed. They made love as much as possible that night, finally falling asleep early in the morning. When Boq woke up the next afternoon, Elphaba was gone, the spot where she had lain cold and empty.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Boq looked desperately for her anywhere he could think of. He was angry that she had left him again. He knew she meant well, but the fear of losing her again pushed aside all thought of logic.  
Finally, in the middle of an abandoned street, he broke down.  
"I love you! Why do you keep abandoning me? You said yourself once that I was worth more than ten Glindas! You left HER, so why are you leaving someone worth ten more of her?!" He shouted, "ELPHABA!"   
"Will you please stop shouting, Boq? You're giving me a headache." stated a sardonic voice, more beloved than it had been before. Boq whirled around. Elphaba was standing behind him, an amused smile on her face.  
"Why did you leave?" he asked.  
"Because I had pressing engagements to tend to." she replied, her smile vanishing. "And because I have to protect you, Boq. You have a farm and a family. You can't just run off with me and join the Resistance." Boq smiled bitterly. He wished now that Milla **had** succeded in killing herself, however horrible that seemed.  
"So that's what you've been doing since you left Shiz." he said, "I figured as much."  
"Ask no questions and I will tell you no lies." Elphaba smiled dryly, "Go home, Boq. " She started to walk away.  
"I love you, Elphie!" Boq shouted, " I _want_ to stay!"  
"Boq, I love you, I will never love anyone as much as I do you nor will I ever let them see me in the sunlight like I did with you. However, I cannot let you stay here. It is far too dangerous." Elphaba replied somberly.  
"I don't care!" he said, pulling her to him, "I've finally gotten you back and you tell me to leave? That is _not_ going to happen Miss Elphaba." Elphie laughed.  
"Same old Boq, calling me 'Miss' when you're angry at me." she teased. Elphie lowered her head and kissed him.  
Boq lost himself in the kiss. This migt very well be the last kiss he shared with her, desperate as she was to send him away.  
_'No'_, he thought, _'I will not lose you again!'_ Elphaba pulled away and he grabbed a hold of her arms, grippping them tightly.  
"You're stuck with me now, Miss Elphie."


End file.
